Object of the Month

2017

2016

Object
of the Month

'Gassiat' Style Putter

The original wooden-headed putters in this style were
known as "Chantilly" putters for the home town of their
inventor, the Marquis de Chasseloup-Loubat.

They were - according to later reports - first used in
1911, but came into prominence after being used by Jean
Gassiat to win the 1911 French Open.

They were - thereafter - universally known as "Gassiat" putters.

The Museum's example has the name "R. J. Gibson" stamped above
the sight line. R. J. Gibson was the son of club manufacturer
Charles Gibson of Royal North Devon Golf Club (Westward Ho!), and
served as the pro at Royal Calcutta for many years. There were
several other Gibson sons who served as professionals around the
empire, and - according to the ‘Compendium of British Club Makers’
(Peter Georgiady, Airlie Hall Press, 2004) - the clubs they
sold were all manufactured by their father’s shop.

Another of Georgiady’s volumes – ‘Wood Shafted Golf Club Value
Guide’ (Airlie Hall Press, 2009) – supports the notion that
this may be a club of Gibson Senior's manufacture by listing an
entry under Charles Gibson for “Putter – Gassiat-type – large wood
head”.

The club at the Museum appears to have been re-shafted at some
during its life. We have been unable to locate any other record of
a steel-shafted R. J. Gibson ‘Gassiat’ style putter, and there is
evidence underneath the hosel whipping of odd – but very neat –
sawed wood joints and subsequent finishing. We were tempted to
remove the sole plate in search of evidence of the earlier fitting
of a of bore through shaft, but we were not confident that the
patient would survive such radical surgery.

George G. Bussey & Co. Club
Carrier

In the early days of golf, caddies hired by players
were responsible for carrying a golfer's clubs, for teeing
up their balls, locating 'lost' balls, and numerous other
menial tasks that might detract from the players enjoyment
of their game.

His salary was basic and his equipment non-existent - he
was expected to carry his master's golfing implements
under his arm. On this basis, the satisfactory performance
of his many duties must have been quite an exercise in
dexterity.

The caddie's lot changed considerably with the
introduction of specially designed club carriers, and the
Australian Golf Heritage Society Museum holds a very
handsome example of an early 'club carrier' in its
collection.

Late 18th century golfer & caddy - artist unknown

The George G. Bussey & Co. club carrier was manufactured
around the end of the nineteenth century to carry between six and
eight clubs - the standard complement of the day. It consists of a
stained board with a truncated oval canvas 'bag', a smaller canvas
pouch, a carrying handle and retractable wooden legs.

The Empire Patent Caddie Club
Carrier

It is interesting that this club carrier is called the 'Empire
Patent Caddie'. This suggests that it was thought that this style
of equipment would replace the need for a human caddie, and enable
golfers to carry their own clubs over the golf course.This
particular example was found hidden in the rear of the clubhouse
at Northbridge Golf Club in the late 1990s, and had been there for
many years. No further history relating to this object is known.

1959 NSW Vardon Trophy

According to the current rules, the 'Vardon
Trophy is open to male amateur golfers who hold a current
Australian or overseas equivalent handicap, and who have a
handicap of 4 and under. The Vardon Trophy runs for 12-months,
throughout the calendar year.

The winner of the Vardon Trophy
is the player who has the lowest scoring average for the 12
months and has played a minimum of 25 rounds. The players worst
round is dropped after 25 rounds and another of their worst
rounds are dropped with each subsequent five rounds played'.1

in 1988, the rules were a little different: 'The
Vardon Trophy competition is open to all golfers with an AGU
handicap of seven or less (10 or less for juniors).

Scores recorded will be
adjusted to par 70 and a player will be credited with 86 if he
enters an event and fails to appear, does not return a card or
is disqualified. After 15 rounds the worst score can be
discarded, after 17 rounds the next-worst score and from then on
round for round'.2

The rules that applied in 1959 - the first year it was held in
NSW - are lost to time, but what is not lost is the trophy awarded
at the conclusion of the competition.

1959
NSW Vardon Trophy(click to enlarge)

The inaugural NSW Vardon Trophy for the
leading male amateur golfer was awarded to Vic
Bulgin with an average over 35 rounds of 74.7.

A talented all-round sportsman,Victor John
Bulgin (1927-2006) represented Australia in golf
and NSW in rugby league,
and was also selected
for the 1948-49 Kangaroos.

Bulgin also served in the New South Wales Police
Force and in 2008, rugby league's centennial
year in Australia, he was named at fullback in a
NSW Police team of the century.

He was runner-up to Kel Nagle in the 1959
Australian Open. In 1966, he was runner-up to Bill
Britten in the Australian Amateur Championship
(matchplay), but claimed the Australian Medal as
the winner of the stroke play stage of the
championship.

This trophy is currently viewable in the Museum as part of our
'Amateur Golf Trophies' display.

Orizaba Power-Pod Driver

The Australian Golf Heritage Society regularly sets up displays
at golf events - the Australian Open, the NSW Open, the Ladies NSW
Open, and so on. At each of these events, objects from the Museum
are rotated through the displays so that visitors can see quality
artefacts from the rich history of golf.

Regardless of the rarity, value, collectibility or provenance of
clubs that are put on public view, one that always grabs the
attention of visitors is the Orizaba Power Pod driver.

Orizaba Power Pod in profile (Click to enlarge)

As recorded on www.golfwrx.com "It was the ultimate anti-slice
club at a time in the mid-1980s when adjustable drivers and
movable head-weights were only a dream. No adjustment necessary
with this club: It was designed for golfers determined to turn
their bananas into a “power fade,” no matter how ugly the process
became. And the PowerPod, even to those who swore by it, was
pretty ugly. It was a purple, polyurethane, plumbing-like fixture
aligned on the shaft so that it pointed toward the golfer to such
an extent that a normal swing would deliver the ball off a
right-hander’s left shin. But thanks to slicers everywhere, more
than a million were sold. Unfortunately, according to designer Jim
Flood, "About a third came back broken"."

Orizaba Power Pod top view (Click to enlarge)

Ross Baker - adding value to an AGHS Facebook page post last year
- added "The head of the Power Pod was made out of ground glass
and epoxy, and was virtually indestructible. It was because of the
durability of the resin head that Jim Flood - the owner of Orizaba
- backed every club with a lifetime guarantee. And that was why
his company went broke. Where they failed was the stainless ring
around the head, which attached the head to the neck. The ring
would crack, especially when many shots were hit off the toe -
ironical as they were targeted at the slicer - as they were touted
to virtually eliminate a slice! (Which they didn't)."

Orizaba Power Pod - a face only a mother could love (Click to
enlarge)

"Unbelievably, it doesn't matter where I do a display or what I
have in the display, the one club everyone comments on is the
Power Pod, they'll walk straight past a Tom Morris "Scare Neck"
putter to get a closer look at a Power Pod. Did you know there
were fairway woods (Maxi Buster and Mini Buster) and irons as
well?"

Want to debate the finer points of the Orizaba Power Pod - try
the AGHS
Forum.